#I genuinely forgot how I usually color and shade with how long I haven’t drawn something like this

[coin-z3fs]

After school chatter.

[sethrine-writes]

Come What May - Ch. 4

Pairing:  Captain America/Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Words:  2102

Warnings:  Fluff

Summary: There’s quite a few coincidences that happen throughout anyone’s lifetime. It just so happens that you’re experiencing far too many in a short span of time to be considered mere coincidence - and others are also beginning to take notice. Just how many times can Captain America actually save you before things take a turn for the worst.

A/N:  Hello all! Back at it again! Ya’ll seem to really be liking the story, so far. Thank you guys so much for reading, commenting, liking, and reblogging! Here’s to many more chapters ahead!

------

Chapter 4 - Shirts ‘n’ Skins

There was a place about ten miles deeper into the city you enjoyed going to with your brother when you had the time and money to spare. It was a large building and looked a bit rundown, with rust spots covering it in splotches, the building itself rightly named ‘Warehouse 36’ back when it was just for storage. You only ever knew the place as Shirts ‘n Skins.

The large warehouse was basically now a shop filled to the brim with all sorts of shirts, graphic T’s, novelty items, gifts, fragrances, and a full section of the large expanse of space was sectioned off and dedicated to the military.

Andrew had shown you around nearly three years ago after a mutual friend introduced him to the place, and you fell in love with the sheer size and variety of clothes and gift items they had available. Not to mention, it became so much easier to shop for Andrew’s military-appropriate attire, as they catered to all branches and ranks within and even donated some of the proceeds to each branch.

Another feature you had taken advantage of a few times in the past was their T-shirt print service. Once, you had given them a drawn-out image of some team thing you were participating in for your company, with a list of names of those on your team. Two days later, you had a box of bright orange shirts with the image and your team’s name embossed on the front in a bright, squiggly blue font, with the last names of each member on the back.

The place was absolutely amazing. That day, though, you were on a mission to find your brother a new set of boots. He’d had the same pair for years, and though they were still in pretty decent condition, you remember him saying something a few weeks back about possibly finding a new pair, as the soles were starting to thin. He’d been so busy recently that you doubted he’d even had the chance to leave his post at the tower, let alone step out for a new pair of boots.

With that thought in mind, you entered through one of the four doors centering the building, determined to find just what he needed. That determination faltered just slightly when you noticed that things had…changed a bit on the inside.

You passed several aisles with a mild sort of confusion, looking up to the large banners that named each area and finding that some things had been moved to different places. There even looked like there were quite a few new things added to the stock.

Thankfully, the military area was still in the same corner, the large building made within the warehouse a familiar and welcoming sight. You stepped up to the window located on the right, smiling at the familiar, older face working there.

“Luke, hey!”

“Oh, heya, (Y/n)! It’s been awhile! Where’s ya brother? He around?”

“Nope, not this time,” you answered, “he’s been real busy these past few months.”

“No kiddin’? Bummer, he’s a good man, good company.”

“Yeah. I figured while he was busy, I’d do some of his shopping for him. You need my I.D.?”

“Nah, think we all know ya by now. Come on in, kid.”

Luke reached off to the side and pressed a series of number-laden buttons, the large door to your left giving a small buzzing sound, signaling it was now unlocked from the outside.

“Thanks, Luke!”

You entered the building, not at all surprised by the scatter of men and women, most dressed in some form of basics, scanning through the items down several long aisles. The building itself was like a completely separate store, with access granted only to those in the Force or a select few with proper identification, of which you were lucky enough to have.

Politely greeting those you passed, you made your way to the very back where the wall was covered with different sizes, makes, and colors of boots, your eyes scanning for the darker shade that Andrew seemed to prefer. You knew the color and size you needed, but the make…which one was it, now?

“Well, I’ll be damned, if it isn’t (Y/n)!”

Startled, you turned at the exclamation, a surprised smile instantly lighting your features at the familiar dark blond hair and green gaze eyeing you with utter delight.

“Damien?! Wow, it’s so great to see you!”

The tall man chuckled as he moved forward and wrapped his muscular arms around you in a firm hug, your arms winding their way around his neck to return the embrace. When he pulled away, it was with a wide grin.

“It’s been way too long, sweetheart. What made you decide to grace us with your lovely presence today?”

“Andrew said something about needing new boots a while back, so I thought I’d get them for him, since he’s been so busy. I just…ah, forgot the make he usually gets.”

“I got you,” he said, reaching up somewhat above you for the brand you had been eyeing, but weren’t completely sure was right. “He still a twelve and a half?”

“Yeah. If they have them in the darker color, that would be great.”

He shifted a bit to the left, carefully pulling out a box and handing it to you. You opened it, inspecting the pristine boots within to find they were exactly what you were looking for.

“Thank you, these would’ve been hell to reach on my own.”

“Anything for my favorite girl.”

You smiled at the familiar endearment, elbowing Damien almost playfully.

“Your favorite, hm? How many other girls you got around here?”

“Oh, you know, I got a full harem, just…hordes and hordes of women throwing themselves at me, begging me for that number one spot in my heart.”

He gave a dramatic thump against his chest over his heart, giving you a playful look.

“Yeah, okay,” you said with a laugh, Damien following suit. His gaze then turned soft, almost tender with emotion as he continued to look down at you.

“I’ve missed you, (Y/N). It’s been way too long.”

“It really has,” you agreed, though you gave him a quizzical look. “What are you doing here, anyways? Andrew said you’d been deployed overseas.”

“I was, but our mission was cut short,” he answered. “A handful of us were sent back, so now I’m just helping out my uncle until they need me again. Oh, he bought this place, by the way.”

“Oh, he finally bought it? I thought things were looking a little different around here. Honestly, I didn’t expect Mr. Yahmen to finally cave and take the offer.”

“Well, he did, after a bit more…persuasion. It was a clean transition in taking over the business, and my uncle isn’t changing much, just expanding the products. He’s even upping the proceeds going to the military from the original thirty percent to sixty.”

“That’s amazing! You guys more than deserve every cent you can get.”

“Here recently, everyone would beg to differ. Too much shit happening that we haven’t been prepared for, and the majority of the population likes to blame us for it.”

He seemed a bit put-out as he spoke, enough that you caught the shift in his demeanor. You gave a gentle smile as you shifted the box in your grasp to one arm, reaching your hand out and placing it against his bicep.

“Guess I’m not everyone, then. People like you, my brother, you guys do so much for us, for this country. It’s not an easy job, and not everything is…ideal. But I have faith in you to do the right thing.”

Damien reached over and placed his hand over yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. There was that look in his eyes again, so tender and sweet, and for a moment it made you feel a bit flustered.

“Damien…?”

“If…if you’re not busy later, did you maybe wanna-?”

“(Y/n)? Wow, it’s great to see ya!”

At the gruff call of your name, both you and Damien pulled back from each other and turned to find Dusty, Damien’s uncle, and Captain America himself, dressed in jeans and a tight-fitting shirt and looking every bit surprised and amused to see you there. You couldn’t hide your own amusement at seeing him, shaking your head at the absurdity of your run-ins.

At least you didn’t have a gun pointed at you, this time around.

Dusty looked between you and the blond man, a somewhat knowing smile adorning his features.

“Oh, do you know each other, my dear?”

“You could say that,” you mused, smiling up at the man you’d forever know as your blue-eyed savior. “Well, Captain, I’d say it’s a surprise to see you, but at this point, I’m beginning to wonder if you’re actually following me around.”

“It’s…Steve, please,” he started with a sweet lilt to his lips, moving a bit closer at your welcoming smile. “And, for the record, I didn’t know this place existed until a friend of mine sent me here.”

“If you say so,” you teased lightly, watching as Steve’s eyes shifted over to Damien a moment before finding your gaze again.

“Oh, excuse me! Damien, you know the good Captain, yeah? Steve, this is-“

“Sergeant Damien Briggs, at your service, Captain,” Damien cut in, standing straight at his full height and giving Steve a salute, of which the blue-eyed man returned.

“Always glad to meet those heroes who are in the service. How long you been in?”

“Seven years, Sir. And still love every minute of it.”

“Good to hear,” he said with a small smile, turning to look at you once more. Damien did the same, both pairs of green and blue eyes expectantly waiting for you to say something. You stood there for a moment before realizing that the silence was actually becoming awkward.

“Oh! Uh, thank you, again, Damien, for helping me with the boots.”

“Sure thing, don’t mention it,” he answered with a grin, though it didn’t feel as genuine as the ones he had given you before. “I should get back to work. Don’t be a stranger, sweetheart.”

He then turned to Steve, giving the super soldier a nod of his head.

“Captain,” was all he said in farewell before moving passed him to his uncle, who looked mildly amused at the scene that had played out before him. They walked away together, leaving you and Steve to your own devices.

“So,” you began teasingly, “come here for a new uniform? Tired of that red, white, and blue body suit they have you wear?”

“No, actually, I came here on business. Classified, I’m afraid.”

“Mm, official Avengers business, then? Don’t worry, I’m not prying.”

“I’m not worried,” he said sincerely, following up with, “the suit is, ah, actually not too bad. If you, uh, wanted to know.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” you said with a smile.

There was a long stretch of silence between you where you both just stared at each other, words on the tip of your tongues, but brains unable to articulate how to form them. You both finally broke the silence, rambling at the same time.

“Did you maybe wanna-“

“So I was thinking that we could-“

Steve gave a short chuckle as you huffed in amusement, finding the moment awkwardly sweet.

“Sorry, you go ahead,” he said, ever the gentleman.

“Well, I was…I was wondering if you’d like to grab a coffee. With me. As friends, of course. Or, uh, acquaintances getting to know each other better? If, you know, you’re not still on business time, or whatever, or maybe we could do it some other time? Or not at all, I mean-“

“Yeah,” he answered as you rambled, his smile brightening as he gave a breathy laugh. “Yeah, that sounds good. Honestly, I was about to ask you the same. Figured three unintentional meetings has to be some sort of sign, right?”

You beamed at the blond man standing tall before you, finding that your sudden burst of confidence and playfulness was now quickly turning into awkwardness.

“Alright, then I should get…yeah, pay for this then, ah…yeah.”

“Yeah,” Steve repeated with that same sweet smile, turning to the side and holding out his hand in a gesture to lead you forward.

“After you, ma’am.”

“Oh please,” you stated, moving past him as he followed behind you, “if I’m calling you Steve, now, the least you can do is call me (Y/n).”

“Sure thing, (Y/n).”

Oh, you liked your name coming from that man’s mouth.

------

Tag List: @just4muggles, @achishisha, @pinnedandneedled, @deaniebean